Department of 'PSYCHOLOGY'

 PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATION

AZADI KA AMRUT MAHOTSAV Celebrations

 

The Psychology Association celebrates “Vasant Panchmi” (the arrival of spring) as a “Festival of Hope”, as its best practice. This year, as India is celebrating 75^th year of  Independence, the theme was ‘Stories of Hope for Independent India’.

Students submitted various stories of resilience and hope on Google Form, which were later discussed in class. On January 30 and 31, 2023, Students spoke about their idea of India, its strengths and future. They also shared some of their personal stories of struggle, wherein they found strength from their neighbourhood and society to overcome their misfortunes.

 

The Students and Faculty Member also followed the dress code in the colours of spring: yellow, orange and green.

Workshop on ‘Art-based Therapy’

On December 2, 2022, the Psychology Association organised a workshop on ‘Art-Based Therapy’, which was attended by 89 Students of the Department. The speaker was Psychology Department Alumna, Ms. Vaidehi Chilwarwar, a Clinical Psychologist and a certified Art-based Therapist.
Ms. Chilwarwar explained the concept, theory and rationale of this therapy, and its significance in helping people with behavioural problems, especially those who are linguistically challenged, such as autistic children. With the help of several activities, she demonstrated the three stages of communion, creation and conclusion, and stressed how projecting one’s anxieties in the form of art can bring clarity and understanding, and contribute towards healing. She showed how this therapy can be effective with any available resources, and she did this by using newspapers, music and even one’s own body as a resource.
The participants enjoyed the session greatly and their feedback was excellent.
 

Welcome of FY Students

On July 27, 2022, the SY Students of the Department of Psychology arranged an ice breaking session to welcome the new batch of FY Students. The entire event was arranged and executed by the Students, and was attended by 43 SY and 60 FY Students. Some of the SY Students shared their experiences and explained what the new Students could expect from the subject and the Department. The Students played games based on psychological facts and trivia.
 

Visit to Central Library

On August 8, 2022, the Psychology Association arranged a visit to the Central Library, which is one of the best practices of the Psychology Department. Fifty SY Students accompanied Dr. Zarin Sethna, Head of Department, Psychology, and were made acquainted with books related to Psychology. Students were keenly interested in the titles available and focused especially on books related to the varied fields of specialization available in Psychology.

The Students appreciated the visit highly.
 

I AM WHAT I FEEL – Emotional Intelligence

On January 22, 2022, the Psychology Association invited Department Alumna and Clinical Psychologist, Ms. Pragati Diddi, delivered a lecture on I AM WHAT I FEEL-Emotional Intelligence.
Using an audio-visual presentation, Ms. Diddi explained the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and how it differed from the Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Stressing the importance of self-awareness and self-regulation, Ms. Diddi several simple exercises including role-playing to help participants recognise their emotional reactions to various situations. She emphasised the role of empathy and social skills in effective emotional management.
In the interactive session that followed, students shared their experiences and this helped the group to further refine their understanding of the concept. The session was highly appreciated by the Students.
 

Understanding Dyslexia

October commemorates ‘Dyslexia’, and on October 6, 2022, the Psychology Association invited Alumna Ms. Seema Moosa to deliver a talk on “Understanding Dyslexia”. As special educator, Ms. Moosa was the apt choice as speaker for the topic.
Ms. Moosa explained the meaning of Dyslexia, its implications and the opportunities available to people affected by it. Using an audio-visual presentation, Ms. Moosa explained how some of them had overcome this learning disability and had gone on to garner success in life. In the interactive session that followed, she also stressed that the stigma attached to mental health issues needed to be overcome and acceptance was key in this.
 

On September 23, 2021, the SY Students of the Department organised an online programme to welcome the new FY Psychology Students. The planning and execution of the event was done entirely by the Students. The event proved to be an excellent icebreaking session, with the senior Students and Alumni narrating their experiences and providing peer guidance to the FYs.

On September 25, 2021, the Psychology Association invited Department Alumna and Remedial Educator, Ms. Gunjan Choughule to deliver a lecture on “GENDER STEREOTYPES”.

Ms. Choughule’s audio-visual presentation discussed gender roles, how children imbibe them through observation and the perils of following these stereotypes. She also spoke of the importance of the roles of parents, teachers and media in reinforcing and countering stereotypes.

The session was highly interactive and Students provided an excellent feedback.

October is commemorated as the month of Dyslexia. To take cognisance of this, on October 6, 2021,  the Association invited Special Educator and Department Alumna Ms. Seema Moosa, to deliver a talk on “Understanding Dyslexia”. Ms. Moosa explained what Dyslexia is, the implications of the condition, and the opportunities available to them. Sharing the experiences of some dyslexics who have overcome this learning disability and who enjoy happy lives and successful careers, Ms. Moosa pointed out that mental health issues were unnecessarily stigmatised and stressed the importance of social acceptance. Ms. Moosa’s talk was followed by an interactive session. 

On October 19, 2021, the Association organised the First Alumni Meet of the Students of the Department. Students from various batches interacted and shared their experiences in their respective careers. It was a nostalgic event for students and Teacher alike. It helped in sharing information about various fields and latest trends in Psychology and other subjects as well. Students expressed a wish to meet again soon, preferably offline, and perhaps also organise a programme. 

On November 20, 2021, the Psychology Association invited Department Alumna and Remedial Educator, Ms. Natasha Parihar Mirchandani to deliver a lecture on FINDING YOUR ZEN — Pause, Breath, Think, and Repeat.

Ms. Parihar Mirchandani used an audio-visual presentation to explain the concept of Zen. Emphasising the importance of self-care and what it constitutes, her presentation highlighted some major stressors and the ways of coping with them. She also spoke of the advantages of being mindful and demonstrated a simple relaxation technique. She ended the session with a short story that called attention to how we unconsciously carry the burden of our thoughts and how we can let go. The session was highly interactive and students shared their experiences. The feedback from the Students was excellent.

Guest Lecture on “Economics of Emotions”

On December 29, 2020, the Psychology Association organised an online guest lecture on “Economics of Emotions”, for its FY and SY Students. The speaker was College Alumna Ms. Tenzie Thomas.

Ms. Thomas used concepts from economics such asproduction, consumption and distribution, to discuss how we keeping our fears, doubts and insecurities bottled up eventually ruins relationships, lowers self-esteem and causes reclusiveness, and drives young people to depression and suicidal thoughts. She shared three short videos that were very effective in conveying these ideas to the Students. Ms. Thomas also answered Students queries during the interactive session that followed.

The feedback from the Students testified to the fact that the speaker addressed the deep-rooted concerns of the adolescent mind.